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Tennessee freshmen duo dominate Alabama on the big stage

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•03/22/25•

_Cainer

Tennessee pitcher Tegan Kuhns. Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee pitcher Tegan Kuhns. Credit: UT Athletics

Stop me if you have heard this before: Tennessee has some stud freshmen on the roster. Levi Clark, Jay Abernathy and Manny Marin are a few the first come to mind – but it won’t be easy to forget a nasty duo forming on the mound in Tegan Kuhns and Bayden Krenzel.

The right-handed rookies straight up dominated the 12th ranked team in the country on Saturday, on the road in front of a sellout crowd from Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Together, the freshmen combined to toss eight innings of one-run baseball, allowing just four hits in the process.

“I think the bottom line is those two guys show that they belong in the category,” Tony Vitello said postgame on Saturday. “They leave fear in the locker room, which is appreciated from our end.”

Kuhns retired the first 11 batters he faced while he made his third start of the year and second-straight in Southeastern Conference play. The righty allowed just one hit over 71 pitches with five strikeouts and two walks.

“Recently, I didn’t really have my curveball. It wasn’t really working for me,” the starting pitcher admitted afterwards. “So, today, the fact that I had my slider and my curveball working well for me [difference].”  

Krenzel came on in a massive spot in the fifth inning with runners at the corners and only one out. He struck out the first batter he faced and got a flyball out to exit the threat – all while preserving the line for Kuhns.

“Just getting ahead in the zone and using my fastball to get ahead,” the reliever said postgame. “Showing that I have a second pitch in a slider. Mixing that in and really just competing every single pitch.”

The reliever went on to pitch 4.1 innings of relief, allowing three hits and two runs in the process. That’s two solid outing in-a-row for Krenzel, who also tossed a clean 2.1 innings against East Tennessee State on Tuesday of this week.

“Really good presence for him, as well, but throwing every pitch with conviction,” Vitello said of Krenzel. “Really has been able to mix and match with off speed and a fastball – that’s really good. And the ball is coming out of his hand as good as it has ever. And that’s a testament to a lot of hard work.”

The duo held Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, who leads the nation in home runs and runs batted in, to an 0-for-4 day at the office with three strikeouts.

Kuhns and Krenzel are adding to an already deep pitching staff for Tennessee and Saturday’s showing means they should continue to be thrown into the fire from here on out.  

“It was amazing. The fans brought it,” Kuhns said of the environment at Alabama this weekend. “I’m normally like an even-keeled guy. So, it really doesn’t bother me, but it was awesome.”

Tennessee gets back in action Tuesday against Queens before hitting the road at South Carolina next weekend to continue SEC play.

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